Introducing the Clock
The fascination of time and its circles is felt by many. One of the ways this has been expressed most artistically is in the design of grand clocks that show not just the hours, but the months, the seasons, the signs of the zodiac, all of which appear in the clock above. Some add the phases of the moon throughout a whole year. A clock like this is a storyland on its own, a place to learn about time, seasons, the months, and also about shapes, imagery and how they help to tell the stories.
Click on the image above to get an enlarged version to be able to show children and explain it to them. At the top, in Roman numerals, it tells the time.
In a larger circle around that, are the months of the year:
On the sides are the seasons, represented by mythological persona:
Between the seasons are the signs of the zodiac:
Squares and circles abound. Even simple decoration is based on the shape of the circle:
The whole clock is a cluster of basic shapes, teaching the cycles of time:
Discussion
Spend some time discussing the clock and all that is shows, as well as its use of the shapes of squares and circles. Especially, talk about how circles have no end, but repeat endlessly. Point out, also, how the number four -- as in the four seasons -- leads to the idea of the square.
Shapes Activity
Cut out squares and circles to assemble into a clock like the one above. Draw in the numbers and months -- or their symbols -- as you wish. Glue them into place on a large sheet of paper.
Play Vivaldi's Four Seasons while working on the activity.
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©2010 Anne Morddel
Seasons South and North
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